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WEST WYOMING - Residents concerned about a natural gas gate station UGI Penn Natural Gas plans for the borough are not pleased that the company is starting work this week.

UGI is building the station, which will connect wells in Wyoming County to the Transco interstate pipeline and on to customers, by way of a pipeline already under construction by a sister company, UGI Energy Services.

UGI Utilities spokesman Joe Swope said contractors started moving equipment to the site, which is located off Fire Cut Road, on Monday, and actual construction will begin this week.

"They know no one's going to stop them. Not the PUC, not the citizens," said Nancy Dolan of Exeter, one of 11 local residents intervening in the case. "They're not acting like a public utility."

UGI Penn Natural Gas petitioned the state Public Utility Commission to be exempt from local zoning in building the station, which will include metering equipment to measure the gas going into and out of the Transco, filters to remove impurities from the gas, and electronic remote control equipment.

"One of the things that we stressed all along is that the hearing in front of the PUC was not about whether we could build a gate station or not," Swope said. "UGI has the ability, as a public utility, to construct a gate station."

The case is about whether the structures which will house the equipment are subject to local zoning regulations, he said.

Swope said the gate station can do without buildings if necessary: "It can be built and operate safely without structures."

The structures do two things: provide an extra measure of security and noise abatement, he said.

"Which, I might add, are two issues that were raised that the structures would help to address," Swope said.

A public input hearing with the PUC was held on May 2 in West Wyoming and two evidentiary hearings took place in Harrisburg on June 3 and 4. The record is now closed, and Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth Barnes will issue a ruling, which then will be used by the commission in making its final decision.

"Why did they waste the PUC's time if they don't need the buildings," Dolan said. "Why do we need zoning? Why do we need the PUC? Let's get rid of them both and save the taxpayers a lot of money."

Residents worry about setting a precedent: that gas companies will partner with public utilities, which are exempt from most zoning regulations, to get around local zoning. On Sept. 4, 2012, the Luzerne County zoning hearing board denied UGI Energy Services an exception to build a natural gas compressor station at a nearby site. The company appealed the ruling, but later dropped it.

"So they partnered with their utility arm to circumvent local zoning," Dolan said.

Swope said a compressor station is not planned for the West Wyoming site.

Dolan and several other concerned residents intended to voice their concerns at the West Wyoming council meeting on Monday, but the meeting was postponed due to a lack of a quorum.

Potential pollution and emissions from the facility are a main issue. Resident Maria Dubiel, who is also intervening in the case, said even if people "don't buy into" the idea they would be breathing toxic fumes, should think about their properties: enjoyment of them and their resale value.

Residents say they plan to continue fighting.

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